A Blue Hill dental practice that’s served area residents for three decades is set to close in mid-December amid legal troubles.
Blue Hill Peninsula Dental will close permanently on Dec. 17 due to circumstances beyond the practice’s control, according to owner Dr. Mike Gillins.
The closure comes as many regions throughout Maine, particularly in rural areas, battle varying levels of dentist shortages, though Hancock County overall is relatively well served by dental practices. In some pockets of the state, the gap in dental coverage has left many residents struggling with long wait times for emergency care.
Maine has seen an influx of dental providers obtaining licenses in the past 18 months, Therese Cahill, CEO of the Maine Dental Association, said last month.
The office’s roughly 2,000 patients will be referred to area providers, Gillins said, adding that the practice is following closure guidelines stipulated by the Maine Board of Dental Practice.
The practice has no pending disciplinary cases with the board, but there is an ongoing court case related to the practice, according to board records and court documents. Gillins declined to comment on the nature of the court case.
“It’s just financial considerations and a bunch of things beyond our control that made a perfect storm,” Gillins said Thursday.
Gillins is named as one of three defendants in a Cumberland County equitable relief civil case filed by TD Bank in late June, according to court records.
Gillins is aware of one Ellsworth practice that is currently taking new patients, noting the “severe shortage in the state of Maine of dental and hygiene providers.”
The office will remain open until mid-December for emergency treatment and to help transfer patient records to new providers, Gillins said.
The practice notified patients of the closure earlier this week, the prosthodontics specialist said.
Gillins, the office’s only dentist on staff, took over the practice in November 2020 from Dr. Juan Aponte, but the dental office has been open for roughly three decades, he said.
Gillins said he will not be opening another practice but will tend to some personal matters once the office is shuttered.